Insulating-tube.



M. L. GOFFEY.

INSULATING TUBE. Arrmculon FILED we. 1a, 1908.

946,655. I Patented Jan. 18, -1910@ 20257163665 lniianzfor y N 501 06005 L offy W? a 9 m Qk iii f7 ouRAFhERs. wsumcron. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MICHAEL LEO COFFEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR '10 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INSULATING-TUIBE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed August 18, 1908. Serial No. 448,345.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL L. County, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Insulating-Tube, of which the following is a specification.

At the present time, in buildings constructed with wooden beams, electric wires are conducted from one place to another by means of insulating tubes which are inserted in holes bored through the beams.

The object of my invention is to carry the wires around, instead of through, the beams, and thus to avoid the boring of the beams and the insertion of tubes therein. This object is attained by the construction of a tube which may be fastened to the outside of the beam.

The construction of the tube is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents the tube set in place on the beam. Fig. 2 is an exterior perspective view from above. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the tube.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. l is shown the floor and ceiling arrangement of an ordinary building with the wooden joists 8 supporting on their lower edges transverse furring strips to which are attached the lath 3 which in turn support the ceiling plaster. The tuning strips are usually about two inches wide by one inch thick and are nailed in place with sixteen inches from center to center so that there is an open space beneath each joist and above the ceiling lath of about one inch deep by a length equal to the space between the furring strips of about fourteen inches. My insulators are designed to be located in these spaces and attached to the lower edges of the beams 8. Each insulator consists of a short tube of porcelain or other insulating erably cylindrical and bent up at 5 to form an angle with the body portion so that their outer ends are a substantial distance above the upper surface 10 of the body portion. A bore 6 extends the entire length of the insulator for the reception of a conductor wire 9, and, in order that there may be no sharp edges presented to the fibrous insulation of the conductor, the outer ends of the insulator are rounded off and provided with slight reverse bends 4:, as shown in Figs. 2 and I do not desire to restrict myself to the particular form of insulator shown in the drawing, since it is apparent that changes maybe made therein withoutdeparting from my invention.

IVhat I claim is:

1. A tube of insulating material having a body portion adapted to be attached to the side of a beam or other structure, and end portions bent upwardly therefrom.

2. A tube of insulating material having a body portion provided with side extensions for attachment to the side of a beam or other structure, and end portions angularly dis posed to the body portion.

3. A tube of insulating material having a body portion provided with diagonally offset side lugs for attachment to the side of a beam. or other structure, and end portions angularly disposed to said body portion.

4-. A tube of insulating material having a body portion adapted to be attached to the side of a beam or other structure, and end portions bent upwardly therefrom and provided with rounded bearing surfaces at their outer ends.

A house wiring system comprising short tubes of insulating material through which the conductor wires are threaded secured to the lower edges of the floor beams and bent upwardly at their ends to support the wire between the adjacent ends of any two tubes a substantial distance above the plaster lath.

MICHAEL LEO COFFEY.

IVitnesses CHAS. D. CASEY, JOHN H. F LANAGAN. 

